Cardiff and Sunderland’s relegation scrap an under 2.5-goal paradise
Published:Sunderland proved the bookies best mate on Boxing Day; their coupon-busting antics at Everton the Christmas present they wanted most this year.
The 1-0 success at Goodison Park was their first away win of the season and with Cardiff still dripping in drool from the licking Southampton gave them they’ll be looking to double the digits in their road victory column.
A price of 21/10 says they’ll end 2013 by collecting the three points that could heave them clear of the relegation zone, though the hosts remain 13/10 favourites. The draw is on offer at 23/10, meanwhile.
The off-field furore behind the scenes at Cardiff is clearly having an adverse effect on their fortunes on it, or so their 3-0 horror show at home to Southampton last time suggests, meaning there’ll never be a better time than now for the Black Cats to play them.
The meager tally of eight home goals Malky Mackay’s men have scored betters only that of Crystal Palace and Aston Villa and the blank they drew against the Saints was their second in three outings on their own patch.
A solitary strike against West Brom is all their fans have had to celebrate in this timeframe as the relegation whirlpool takes a firm grip on the Bluebirds and, for all of the Wearsider’s toils this term, their defence on the road isn’t awful.
They’ve shipped just 14 times – the same number as Manchester United – which puts them slap bang in the middle of the table in this respect.
The pitiful three goals they’ve scored on their travels is comfortably the worst in the division, however, and with their focus surely honed on avoiding defeat again, the unders sirens are sounding here.
Under 2.5 goals is written all over this one given the attacking headaches both suffer, as well as the nervous disposition afflicting the pair at the foot of the table.
If these telltale signs aren’t enough to encourage a bet on this outcome, an excellent price of 7/10 on a fewer than 2.5-goal clash surely is. Don’t miss out.
All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date
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